HERE'S a round-up of five of the bigger stories in East Lothian this week:

1. 15 options the council is considering to save money

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CLOSING a rural school, increasing parking charges, cutting school crossing patrol officers and reducing the frequency of garden waste uplifts have all been identified by East Lothian Council as possible budget saving options as the local authority looks to save almost £40m over the next five years.

Residents are being urged to have their say on how the local authority spends money to support local services before the council sets its budget for 2018/2019.

2. Two RBS branches set to close

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TWO East Lothian banks are set to close their doors.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's branches in North Berwick and Dunbar are expected to close in the New Year.

3. Your chance to design a flag for East Lothian

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A COMPETITION to design a civic flag for East Lothian has been launched.

Run jointly by East Lothian Council and the Scottish Flag Trust, in association with the Lord Lyon and the Courier, the competition is open to anyone and is free to enter.

While the county is well-known for being the birthplace of the Saltire, Scotland’s flag, it does not have a flag of its own.

4. Teenage boy victim of 'serious attack' near museum

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A TEENAGE boy was taken to hospital after a serious assault near Prestongrange Museum.

The incident took place at about 9.30pm on November 3 and saw a 15-year-old boy assaulted opposite the museum on the B1348.

The teenager suffered a serious facial injury and was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before being released following treatment.

5. Central square proposed as vision for revamped town centre revealed

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A CENTRAL square could be created on Haddington High Street as part of ambitious plans to revamp the town centre.

Work has been ongoing throughout the summer to look at ways to improve the town centre.

The proposals could also see changes to the layout of parking spaces on High Street, although East Lothian Council stressed the design aimed to be “parking neutral”, with the current number of spaces remaining in place.